Dunedin Travel Course

Exploring Dunedin

Watch as penguins skip playfully through the waves and lazy sea lions yawn widely on the dramatic beaches of New Zealand’s Dunedin. While the extraordinary natural wildlife is undoubtedly one of the main attractions, the city's grand architecture, and proximity to the Otago Peninsula's chiseled shoreline, really sweetens the deal. Indulge a sweet tooth at Cadbury’s World, or sample a bottle of hoppy Speight's beer in this youthful city, which constantly renews thanks to its high student population.

Accommodations in Dunedin

Enjoy a cinema-like experience in your hotel room - watching satellite TV from a colossal bed that's wider than it is long - in one of the city's top hotels. Offering a heavenly morning – think fresh coffee on a wood-decked balcony, and a gentle back massage from a power shower's warm jets – the city's motel-style hotels provide perks that will leave you raring to go each day. Or, you could stay in a homely apartment, complete with a wide-open kitchen area where you can prepare fresh lamb and rosemary, bought from Otago Farmers’ Market. WiFi is widely available, and most Dunedin hotels offer handy refrigerators, hot drink facilities, and storage areas – perfect for bulky golf clubs and surfboards. Recommended cheap accommodations are Scenic Hotel Dunedin City and Kingsgate Hotel Dunedin.

Sightseeing in Dunedin

Dunedin’s known as the ‘Edinburgh of the South,' and evidence of the city's Scottish heritage is everywhere - whether it’s the University of Otago's gothic clock tower, or the Edinburgh Cathedral inspired Presbyterian First Church of Otago. Step inside the church to bathe in the multicolored glow of the sun, as it beams through the intricate stain glass, rose window. Afterwards, be ready to be mesmerized by the incredible Tomahak Beach. A walkway leads down to the smoothest sandy beach you’ll ever see, isolated from the rest of the world, there's nothing to disturb you here - except for the ever-present fizz of waves clattering through arching rock formations, and an occasional gull's cry. Penguin Place nature reserve is also nearby, and is dedicated to the protection of severely endangered Yellow Eyed Penguins. Get close to the birds - without disturbing them - by moving through an ingenious network of camouflaged walkways and trenches, dug along the moody Otago Peninsula coastline.

Transportation in Dunedin

Dunedin has its own airport, which takes domestic flights from across New Zealand, and a limited number of Trans-Tasman services. Driving down, or taking a connecting flight from the international airports at Christchurch or Wellington is usually the easiest option if you’re traveling from further afield. The city's Flemish renaissance-style railway station is an impressive building, but serves little purpose for serious rail travel. Sightseeing trains - which traverse the sheer drops of the Taieri Gorge - travel out to Middlemarch from the station, however, and it's also an inter-city bus hub.